Abstract
The scope of this paper is to optimize the design of a fully solar-powered surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Iterative modifications of the Photovoltaic (PV) power system design and the UAV airframe design were adopted to ensure optimal results. ANSYS Fluent was used to run Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations on the UAV to obtain results of aerodynamic forces. These results were used to estimate the weight of the UAV and the thrust which were found to be 12.6 kg and 7 N, respectively. Contours of the velocity, pressure, wall y+, and turbulence intermittency, were produced to study the flow regime around the UAV. A MATLAB script was programmed to obtain irradiance data specific to Abu Dhabi and validate it with actual irradiance data to ensure accuracy. A comprehensive calculation of the UAV’s power consumption of 113W throughout its forward-flight was conducted and led to the decision to use 80 SunPower C60 solar cells, 2 Lithium-Polymer 3S batteries, and a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) system. MATLAB Simulink was used to model the MPPT using the incremental conductance method for the effective extraction and tracking of the maximum power point under the varying irradiance conditions obtained in Abu Dhabi.
